GOLD STANDARD
Team GB win 20TH gold at Tokyo Olympics as Joe Choong seals incredible victory in modern pentathlon
JOE CHOONG made it double GB modern pentathlon gold with a brilliant all-round performance to become Olympic champion.
Almost exactly 24 hours after Kate French came from fifth to win her title, Choong led from the front and secured GB's 20th gold in Tokyo.
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Choong told the BBC: "I'm in shock. I was thinking on the last straight that he wasn't coming and that he couldn't catch me.
"There were a couple of heavy jumps on the ride but I think compared to a lot of the boys out there I can live with that.
"Shooting was a bit sketchy again - I thought I was going to lose it - but I pulled myself together and nailed it.
"Kate winning yesterday calmed me right back down after the carnage of the showjumping.
"I always said I wanted to be the best in the world at something - this is a dream come true."
The 26-year-old Londoner had been in front from day one in the main fencing round.
But it was the extra five bonus points from his one bout of the day that made the vital difference as Choong held off the challenge of Egypt’s Ahmed Elgendy to win by that five seconds.
Elgendy had started 50 seconds off the pace in the 3200m laser run but had closed and then briefly headed the Brit entering the final lap.
Yet Choong refused to give away all he had worked so hard to achieve, making his decisive move with 400m to go and forcing Elgendy to give best.
Woongtae Jun of Korea was third with Choong’s team-mate Joe Cooke fading to 14th after being sixth at one stage in the killer final discipline.
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